Wellred Books proudly presents a work eighty years in the making: Leon Trotsky’s unfinished biography of Stalin. We publish here the story behind the publication of this book – the most extensive edition of the book ever, completed from the original archive material – as told by Rob Sewell, editor of Socialist Appeal. Make a pledge today and help raise the money needed to finish this project!
Dr Tomasz Pierscionek discusses the deal struck between BMA leaders and the Tory government over the junior doctors’ contract dispute. Whilst the BMA leadership has endorsed the settlement, rank and file members are dubious, with many expressing anger over fears of being sold a shoddy deal. If junior doctors vote to reject the agreement, all bets will be off and the struggle could re-emerge on a higher level.
The assault against the Bolivarian revolution has intensified in the recent days and weeks. Editorials and front pages in US and Spanish newspapers are screaming about hunger in Venezuela and demanding the removal of the “dictatorial regime”. Jorge Martin of the Hands Off Venezuela campaigns asks: what is really happening in Venezuela and how can these threats be faced?
Last August, thousands of Corbyn supporters were barred from voting in the Labour leadership election. Now the campaign against Corbyn’s supporters and allies has re-emerged, and a fresh wave of baseless expulsions and suspensions seems to be taking place, whose victims include a number of Socialist Appeal activists and supporters who have been expelled for “not supporting the aims and values of the Labour Party”.
We aim to raise £9,000 over the next two months to go towards the work of building the forces of Marxism internationally and to pay for comrades from Pakistan and elsewhere to be able to attend the World Congress of the International Marxist Tendency this summer. But we can’t do this without your help! Please donate generously today!
“We don’t have a say in the referendum, but the politicians and press talk about us as if we are an underclass who cannot read – and it’s terrifying.” This is the understandable sentiment of the thousands of migrant workers in Britain who are being demonised and blamed for all the ills in society; used as pawns by politicians on both sides of the EU referendum. We say: End all borders! For a Socialist United States of Europe!
Despite facing a barrage of attacks since his election as Labour leader last September, Jeremy Corbyn’s support amongst Labour members has not been dented. Indeed, according to the latest figures from YouGov opinion polls, Corbyn is even more popular with the rank-and-file of the Labour Party now than at the time of his election – much to the chagrin of the Blairites in the Parliamentary Labour Party.
In April, the new National Living Wage came into force. But this “Living Wage” is nothing of the sort. Instead, many employees are seeing very little increase, if any – losing with one hand what they gain with the other – as big business seeks to claw back profits at the expense of workers.
As a result of the shift to the Left seen at this year’s NUS national conference, a number of right-wing led campaigns are being run in universities across the country calling on local student unions to disaffiliate from the NUS. We publish here a statement from the Marxist Student Federation on the question of the NUS and the need to fight to transform it into a vehicle for revolutionary change.
The Brazilian Senate last week voted by a majority of 55 votes to 22 to impeach the President Dilma Rousseff. This marks the end of a long period of relative political stability in Brazil. The economy is in its worst recession since the 1930s. It is in this context that we can understand the recent dramatic shifts and turns in the political situation.
To the disappointment of Corbyn’s opponents both outside and inside the Labour Party, the recent election results in Wales – as in England – did not live up to their catastrophic forecasts. Nevertheless, as Sam Pritchard (Young Labour elected representative for Wales) notes, both Plaid Cymru and UKIP benefitted from the anti-establishment mood.
David King, British graphic designer and collector of Soviet art, sadly passed away last week on Wednesday 11th May. Alan Woods pays tribute to David and his incredibly valuable contribution to keeping the memory of the Russian Revolution alive through his books and impressive collection of historical photos and posters.